Les Singuliers et Nouveaux Portraicts... page 3 (recto) 1588

This is page three of "Les Singuliers et Nouveaux Portraicts," a book of portraits made in France around 1590 by Federico de Vinciolo. This page is not a portrait, but a dedication to the ladies and damsels who might use the book. In the late 16th century, printed books were becoming more common, but were still precious objects, and this one speaks volumes about the role of women in society. It suggests that women should be virtuous but also that they needed to be entertained and to occupy their minds, it also implies that women had enough wealth to purchase items like this one. Books like this one open a window onto the social lives of women in the late 16th century. To understand it fully, we would need to research the history of women's education, the publishing industry, and the material culture of the French upper classes. Only then can we properly understand the place of this book in its historical moment.